Needing our own Meeting Place

For the last 6 months we have been meeting in the local community hall. We are always aware that we could be bumped if a community event is planned- and yesterday that happened. There was a funeral and so with 30 hours notice, the venue was changed. Itayanagi Chapel was used- but as much as we love meeting in the church, it isn't Grace's home. So we are praying that a suitable place is found. The people here temporarily could actually see a church emerge during their watch- now wouldn't that be exciting!!

Amazing Grace

As a short termer I was completely blown away by the Sunday schedule when I first arrived. I couldn't believe how many things the Ghents managed to fit into one short day. 

At the end of my first Sunday here the team headed out to Grace Chapel for the final service of the day. What sets Grace apart from the other services is that it is held in English, which allows a variety of people to come out and partake in God's Word together. 

A sense of community is strongly felt in Grace Chapel, yet right from the beginning our team was welcomed in with open arms.

The beginning of the service was spent in praise and worship. This particular time was a huge blessing to me. After a long and busy day I found it beneficial to be able to reflect on the day and on the many ways God had been working. 

I also love the way the congregation at Grace reads the Bible out loud together. No matter the version of their Bibles or how advanced their English is - it is a time to dive deeper into the Bible as a group. 

Although the congregation may be small, God's love is most evident among each member. 

I believe God is using Grace Chapel in mighty ways. Ways that might not be seen clearly just yet. My prayer for Grace is that God would continue revealing His plans to the leadership of the church and that the church would continue to speak hope into people's lives. 

- Rebecca

Passover/Easter

On Easter we almost had a sunrise service- it was held at 6am but the sun was up at 5 something. Then at 7pm we had a user friendly passover meal/ last supper remembrance followed by a short celebration of the resurrection.
Jesus is alive!!! a victor over sin and death!!

8th of February

Before I attended Grace it had never crossed my mind that mission work could involve starting up churches spoken in the missionary’s native tongue for other foreigners to attend. But when I came to this English speaking church I realized how special and important it was. Moving to another country is hard enough let alone not having any Christian support around you. I know if I moved abroad I would really appreciate a church like this. Grace is also the perfect example of how a church is not defined by the building it is held in but by the members because at the moment Grace rents various halls to hold its’ services. I enjoyed chatting to these members and hearing about their likes and dislikes about Japan as well as some of their personal difficulties which I will continue to pray for. There are also Japanese members who can speak English who attend which I liked because I got to see a whole mix of ages and cultures come together to worship our one God.

-Anna Parkinson

A Change of Venue

Our meeting for Grace Chapel was not held at the community hall last Sunday, as it normally would be. (Ok, so, "normally" is a tough word to use when there's no set building to meet in. The chapel congregation moves around as necessary, but they meet at the community hall a little more than anywhere else.) Instead, we met in a rather beautiful and ornate wedding hall nearby, and some of the hall staff joined our service. The plush carpets and chairs certainly gave the proceedings a different feel, but our service still incorporated the usual elements. We shared food before we began, which included some amazing curried rice balls, and spent time getting to know our visitors a bit better.

While it's certainly true that a good worship team of musicians and singers can lift the atmosphere of a service, singing together to an iPod is no bad experience either! Sometimes I wonder if denigrate the simpler styles of worship, whether it's recorded music or only our voices... We can only bring to God what we currently have, but as long as we do so with the right attitude of the heart then it doesn't matter if it's rusty vocal chords or a ten-piece band. Martin continued his message from 1 Corinthians 12:27-31, focusing particularly on the gifts of serving and administration, and then we spent a short time in prayer.

Although the venue may change, our final destination rarely does, and so we met at Tully's again after the service. There's something of a tradition amongst those who share at Tully's, which is that each one of the 'regulars' can ask one question of the visitors - it's like a kind of ice breaker. On Sunday night we had a chance to catch up with a couple of people who had slipped through the net on previous occassions, and our coffee-fuelled creativity came up with questions like "What three things make you sad?", "What person, living or dead, would you most like to meet?", and "What's your favourite Disney character?" Obviously our knowledge about each person increased, but perhaps not all the information was of great relevance!

- Jonathan

Memories

Often at the end of a short termers stay or when we say goodbye to friends, the common thing to do is to take pictures to remember the time. The cultural way to do it in Japan is to go to a 'purikola' booth and take a bunch. Pretty Color booth can hold a few people and then before printing can be dolled up with stars and writing. Before the Aussie team returned, we visited and now have lots of photos a few millimetres square. For 50 year old eyes, I think I have to say- its the thot that counts. (I can't recognize anything or anyone- but its fun)

Candlelight Service

Last year was the first ever Grace Christmas Worship Service. It was held at a community hall. First we had a potluck meal together. Then the Aussies led us in singing carols and a nativity skit. The candles being lit and reading the Christmas story is a special moment in time regardless of the year or the place.